The Shadow of Death
by Manihot esculenta
Summary: The strands of destiny weave only a web of death. My first take on writing a fanfic XD, comments and reviews are always welcome .
1. Surprise at Dusk

The love of pursuit and the thrill of the chase is personified in the elusive Stalker... Those targeted by a Stalker had best give up all hope of escape. Those that wish to capture a Stalker should simply accept defeat. Undetectable and uncapturable, Stalkers specialize in spying, harassing, chasing and shaking off enemies.

Chapter One – Surprise at Dusk

Pharos, the Gangster's Paradise…

"Shadow Reaper, I have a target for you to eliminate. A Knight that goes by the name of Sig Portferio, one of the Colonels the king sent to survey the town of Morroc and has been doing some…questionable methods." a feminine voice said

"Do I just kill him?" a rogue asked.

"No, before doing so, you should be able to know these 'questionable methods' and other important information. Immediately come back here afterwards." the guild master replied

"Understood." the rogue nodded in reply

"Observe, plan then kill. If anything goes wrong, abandon the place at once! Do not forget these words." the guild master said.

"I will not." the young Rogue replied. He nodded and left the dark room.

…

At a secluded place in the town of Morroc stood a dark building, in the outside it looked like another house but in the interior, it was a dungeon, a torture place. Inside, screams of pain can be heard, corpses dumped in a dark place and different tools that grant painful but slow death are displayed.

"Where is the Rogue's Guild?" a heavy and irritated voice asked.

"I don't know!" a weak voice replied

Just after blurting out that statement, a whip lashed on his back.

"Just say where it is and we shall grant you a quick death." the heavy voice said again

"It's the truth! Will I lie now? If you do not want to believe my words then just slice my head off I beg you!" the weak voice replied.

"Fine, it seems you're as useless as the others." The man said and walked to his quarters and sat down on his chair.

"Colonel Portferio! An urgent message from the Royal Castle!" a messenger shouted while knocking at the door.

"Come in."

"Excuse me Colonel, but the Royal Castle says that if you still haven't got any information on the rogues by next week, your forces will be pulled back and will be replaced by another." the messenger said quickly.

"One week should be enough for me to know most of their secrets, and I have a plan." Sig Portferio said with sheepish smile.

Unknown to him, the shadow of death is just close by.

The next day…

As the scorching sun shines brightly over the hot sands of the Desert Town, Knights march on to Northern Gate and called the attention of the locals.

"People of Morroc, it is with our great generosity that we offer a million zenies to the one who can tell us where the Rogue's Guild is." Colonel Sig Portferio said.

After hearing what's worth the information, people crowded like ants rushing for sugar in the Northern Gate of Morroc. Some of them shouting curses and taunting the Knight that stood before them, some yelling that they know where the location of the place is, while some people seem to not care.

"To anyone who knows where the place we are looking for, please inform us and we will reward you handsomely!" the Colonel announced with a raised tone.

An officer approached him and whispered.

"Sir, a citizen would like to speak with you."

"Tell him to come to my office by nightfall." he replied

"Sir!" the officer saluted in return and walked away.

Nightfall at Morroc…

"Sir, the person who would like to talk with you is here." a knight said

"Let him in." the Colonel ordered

Upon entering the room, the person suddenly dashed and stabbed the colonel's throat with a dagger. Everything happened so fast and shocked the guards, only coming to their senses when the person has already leapt out of the room by the window.

"After him, kill him at once!" the knight yelled, which alerted most of the guards in the location.

The knights guarding the vicinity immediately approached the location but failed to capture the criminal as it has already fled.

"Damn it! What are we going to do now!" a knight smirked, failing to hide his trembling voice.

"We must report this case to the Royal Castle immediately!" replied another knight while rushing outdoors towards his Peco Peco. He ventured the harsh cold night of the Sograt with Prontera as his destination.

"The King should be informed of this as soon as possible!" he whispered to himself.

Morroc, in a dark street…

"Alright, as what we've agreed on, one thousand zennies" a rogue said in a low tone.

"Y-Yes!!!" a young male acolyte blurted out, causing the rogue to look at him sternly.

"S-Sorry, I was just feeling very uneasy with someone…like…you" he said, as he opened a warp portal.

"Are you sure this portal leads to that place?" he asked with a threatening tone. The acolyte just nodded in reply and ran away as fast as he can while the rogue stepped on the portal.


	2. First Steps

Chapter Two – First Steps

After entering the portal, the young rogue ended up in a bridge near the guild, he started walking towards his so called home. The rogue went on his way and arrived at his destination. He entered a dark staircase leading downward, for a trained rogue, the darkness and the shadows is an invaluable ally. He entered a room and at the end of it a female rogue sat before him.

"The target is dead." said the rogue

"And?" the guild master said in a very intriguing tone

"The target, Sig Portferio, is a Lord Knight who was assigned by the Royal Castle to investigate on the whereabouts of our guild. It seems he does it by randomly kidnapping, interrogating and torturing Morrocan people. However, on his day of death, he tried to bribe a million zennies to the person who can tell them the location of this place" the rogue replied in a low tone

"Is he successful?"

"I am very certain that he is the one whom I have killed, however, I am afraid that the Royal Castle would have already been informed about this case."

"Very well." the guild master commended and stood up his chair. "This will be your last mission as a rogue, you now have my blessings to become a Stalker." she said with glee.

This surprised the young rogue a lot. "I…I am very thankful to be of service, master." the rogue replied

"Koemgein Sceaduwe, go forth and preach the word of death to those who deserve it, from now on, you will have to act on your own and decide on your own. Just don't forget the words and other things that you learned from this place." the guild master said while walking away from him.

The rogue smiled and walked away, he left his dagger on the master's table, since this was a custom for rogues who are still willing to be in service for the guild whenever needed. For Koemgein, who has such high regard for the guild, he knows it will always be an honor to fight for the place where he once belonged.

Before leaving the place, he went to his quarters in the guild, he took with him a thin book entitled "Medical Toxicology" and a sword, he unsheathed it and swung it gracefully, taking the hilt and handle into consideration, the blade's length reaches more than two feet and a half and is tinted black. He put the blade back in the sheath and tucked it on his left hip. He wrapped himself in a Thief's Clothing and covered the lower half of his face with a maroon cloth.

He was walking in the hallway and was surprised to be greeted by an old comrade.

"Hey, uhm, Koemgein." said a female rogue.

"Theresa." he said in a dead voice

"I heard you are already received the blessing from her."

"True enough…"

"Oh…that's so bad, a good detoxifier like you would be a great loss for the guild." Theresa commended him unconsciously

"I'll be back when the duty calls" Koemgein said and started to walk away

"Ahm, I'll be looking forward on seeing you again."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing those biggies of yours again!"

"Bye pervert!"

Koemgein simply raised his right hand as an answer. As he reached the surface, he looked back for the last time before leaving the place, the Rogue's Guild. From there, he sped up his pace; Juno is far at hand, at least without the Kafra's aid.

It took him just two moons and a sun to reach Morroc, however, this exhausted him a lot. He took out a small bottle from his pocket, flipped off the cork cap and inhaled the vapor that the liquid substance emitted, soothing his lungs. He walked towards the kafra lady stationed near the marketplace.

"Izlude please" he said

"Uhm, I deeply apologize but our services are headed only to Prontera, Payon, Albe…"

"Alberta" he interrupted menacingly

"Y-Yes at once" the kafra said her voice trembling

The kafra lady cast a warp spell, light coiled and wrapped around him as he vanished into thin air.

"Weird as ever, and what was he inhaling?" the kafra lady asked to herself.

Koemgein arrived at Alberta, from there he saw a band of Lord Knights patrolling. He walked casually away from the Knights and towards the port.

"Damn, that was unexpected." he cursed as he sneaked away from harm and safely reaching the port. Only to find out more Lord Knights guarding the place.

"Shit! This is really not good, it seems they have converted the town into a mass checkpoint." he, again, cursed. He checked his belongings, his blade, a small dagger, anti-venom, some poison, his little book and a measly amount of fifty six zennies, not even enough for a ride to Izlude.

"There is no other way, I'll have to sneak in.", he said to himself.

He walked towards the port while hiding and sneaking through the guards. He entered the boat in no time and went behind the boat's cabin, hiding from the eyes of people. He sat down comfortable and took out the small bottle and inhaled the drug.

"Whew, that was really….something." he sighed

The boat started to sail, heading to Izlude, Protera's Satellite Town. From here, Koemgein prepared for more guards, and as expected it was a sight to behold. He leaped out of the boat, landing quietly on the ground. He sneaked away from the guard's checkpoint and entered the marketplace at the middle, from there, his senses as a thief took over. He pick pocketed anyone who is foolish enough to put their money bags around their belt and not inside their tunic. He stopped right after getting five money bags, and went in a dark alley, where he started to count his "salary".

"A total of more than ten thousand zennies, not bad." he said while putting them in his money bag. He took out the small bottle and inhaled from it, again. He stood up, ventured through the crowd and reached the kafra lady.

"Al De Baran, quickly" he said in an intimidating tone

"Ye-Yeses!" the young woman stuttered, probably not used to someone like him

The young woman cast the warp spell and sent him to Al De Baran.

Upon reaching the majestic town of Al De Baran, Koemgein sighed with relief as there were no more knights patrolling the place. He went to the kafra station and asked for a warp to Juno.

"Thank you for your patronage!" the kafra said happily and smiled at him.

Koemgein smiled faintly in reply. The kafra lady noticed this, "That was a first." she mumbled.

It was nightfall when he arrived at Juno.


	3. The Floating City

Chapter Three – The Floating City

Juno, the floating city filled with people whose intellectual prowess could rival that of Geffen's. Majestic, quiet and classical, buildings stood high and elegant. Sages and Scholars roam the area, like the buildings present there, they stood high and their looks seemingly demanded respect from everyone who sees them, that is, while the sun is up.

Nightfall at Juno…

Koemgein, exhausted and frail, treads the city looking for something to eat. It was in the middle of the night and the market place was already dark and closed, not even a shop of steamed potatoes can be found. Giving up on searching, he tried to find an inn instead only to find out that the inn is already closed.

*Brrrrrrppppp*

"Ugh, my stomach can't hold any longer." he whispered. He continued walking and found something that might save him from hunger, a small house with a dim light.

"Perhaps if I ask them nicely, they'll give something to me." he whispered to himself once more while approaching the small house and knocked.

"Uhm, could you spare some food? A crust of bread will do." he said in a casual way, for him, at least.

An old man opened the door and was surprised to see a rogue.

"I'm telling you, neither my money nor my life is not worth taking, leave now!" the old man said rudely, while pointing his rod at his chest.

"Uhm, you're right, but all I am asking is some food you might spare for me." he said, with a little bit of irritation

"What makes you think that I would give you something to eat?" the old man said, raising his tone

Koemgein didn't answer, he thought that the farthest reaches of Rune Midgard would be different from the ones near the capital, he was wrong. A muscle under his eye twitched in great annoyance from the old man.

"Grandfather, what is the commotion all about?" said a female tone

"Nothing, just a lowlife begging for food, don't worry I am fine and…" the old man didn't finish what he was saying when he saw a dark figure behind the rogue.

Koemgein sensed what was behind him and immediately drew his sword and slashed the thing behind him, it laid down lifeless as he resheathed his blade. He went near the lifeless figure and was surprised to see a Wraith with its black blood spewing from a long wound it took from his attack.

"Dead branch?" he whispered

He stood up, looked back to the old man and to the woman that was peeking through the window. The two of them looked shocked and intimidated while the old man immediately shut the door.

Koemgein let loose a sigh and walked away, going to the direction towards south, there, he saw the long bridge that connects the earth to the floating city. He sat beside the walls and stared at the bridge.

"Perhaps the reason why this town is so dark at night is because of those Wraiths" he said while, inhaling his drug.

Keomgein sighed. "Why do people look at us rogues as if we are assassins?" he said as he sniffed the vapor from the bottle he was holding. "Well, we might be worse haha."

While trying to clear his mind of those thoughts, he stood up and searched for a small corner for him to stay and make his hunger come to pass. When he was satisfied with his place, sat down with his back on the wall and closed his eyes.

"Tomorrow will be a longer day." he said in his mind, before falling into deep slumber.

The next day…

The blinding light of the sun woke Keomgein up from his deep slumber and severe hunger. He stood up and groggily walked away.

"Where am I?" he whispered to himself.

He only came to his senses when he saw the long bridge of Juno. Upon realization of where he was, he also began to feel the emptiness of his stomach, he immediately searched for a food merchant and saw one just above the street.

"I feel as if my stomach's digesting itself."

When he reached the store, he was surprised to see that they sell steamed mashed potatoes, his favorite. His mouth watered in eagerness as he stared blankly at the food.

"Hey mister, are you buying?" said a frail voice

"Uhm, one bowl of mashed potatoes please." he replied

"That would be one hundred zennies" the frail voice, which sounded like an old man.

Koemgein sat on a crate full of potatoes while he eats his feast. The old man looked at him and examined his face.

"Hey, aren't you the rogue I met last night?"

Upon hearing this, he looked at the face of the old man but ignored him shortly and continued eating. He finished eating and returned the bowl to the old man.

"It was good." he said before walking away to a dark street. From there he saw a thief wearing an Alarm's Mask cracking a dead branch. As soon as the thief saw the rogue, he fled the scenery and hid.

"Hey!" Koemgein shouted but it was too late, feint smoke engulfed the place and a small insect thing came out, a Steel Chonchon. The seemingly monstrous creature sensed something and sought it out, suddenly it attacked the hiding thief.

"What!?" the thief smirked; it was too late when he noticed that the rogue rushed and hit a hard uppercut.

"Argh, what do...you want?" the thief said in pain

"So you're behind this; the reason why those people shut themselves in their houses." Koemgein said while grabbing his clothing, their faces staring to each other.

"That's…just one reason…" the thief replied in a weak tone, the hit was taking effect and he was on his knees.

"What do you mean?" Koemgein asked, but the thief fell into deep slumber.


	4. A Failed Mutation

Chapter Four – A Failed Mutation

"Ugh, where am I?" a voice asked while covering his eyes with his arm from the scorching sun

"So tell me everything you know."

"Huh?"

"I said tell me everything you know."

"About what?"

"You told me that there was another reason why people cower in fear during the night."

Upon hearing this, the thief sat up straight and was surprised to see a rogue sitting in front of him. He sighed and asked why this certain rogue wanted to know about this. The rogue replied that it is none of his business, and lectured that there is nothing wrong in gaining knowledge about some trivial things. The thief then, discussed how a certain Hodremlin, under the biology laboratory in the Academy, was put under extreme experiments and lastly a failed mutation.

"So you are telling me that this Hodremlin, became extremely sensitive to light, became more carnivorous and have an extreme appetite for blood?" Koemgein asked

"Yes, and because of that frequent attacks have been reported usually about a person or a pet being gored and dismembered." the thief replied.

"Very well, here take this." Koemgein said while handing over a vial with a green liquid inside.

"Antidote?" the thief asked but the rogue didn't reply.

"Here, take this as well." the thief said as he gave the rogue a bottle of deadly poison.

Both of them stood up and departed. Koemgein thought of something, what would have happened if this certain monster was killed, would it be worth it? Would he be rewarded? Worthless thoughts flooded his mind, nevertheless, it made him smile, he reached the center of the town; it was very open and beautiful. Sages and commoners strolled from here to there; it was quite a busy place. After a couple of minutes strolling, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly, it rained blood, or so it seems. It was the thief Koemgein met earlier, he was throwing some animal gore at a spot in the middle of the city, causing unnecessary commotion to occur, and people distanced themselves away from the vicinity. People cannot avoid but start to gossip and talk about what was happening.

"This may help a bit!" the thief shouted, directing at Koemgein before running away.

"What the…" Koemgein's whispers where interrupted by a loud noise made by screaming people. The Hodremlin is in berserk as it rushes towards the pool of blood, ramming anyone on its way. Koemgein was surprised to see how this Hodremlin was very different from others. First, it has red skin color. Second, it was very fat. And lastly, it was charging at him.

Koemgein came to his wits and leaped sideways to avoid the rushing Hodremlin. He immediately thought of one way to dispose of this monster. He opened the bottle of poison that the thief gave him and splashed it over the blood pool. The creature lapped up the blood scattered on the floor while ignoring the crowd in chaos. Koemgein observed the monster's movements and noticed that the poison's effects were already working. The monster started to limp and fell on the ground; people approached the corpse as its saliva drooled out of its large mouth with its legs and arms flinching. It was dead.

Koemgein walked away from the site, towards his main destination, to the Valkyrie's place. He could hear people cheering behind him, but not directed to him, as he approached a large structure.

"I saw that." a feminine voice said behind him, he looked at her, she was a sage.

"So?" Koemgein replied in arrogance.

"You're pretty rude are you? I just wanted to thank you for what you did. And that was some quick thinking!" the sage replied. Koemgein noticed a necklace she was wearing; it has a pendant with an Aquamarine gemstone. The sage noticed that he was staring at her chest and covered it with her arms.

"Pervert." she said in a low tone.

"Stop saying nonsense, I just happened to remember someone who has a same necklace as you do." he justified and walked away.

The sage was left with no choice but to walk towards the building as well. Those last words left her wondering.

"Why are you following me?" Koemgein asked in a low and slow tone.

"Follow you? Are you still in your wits? Why would I?" the sage replied

Koemgein was irritated by her answer but chose to calm down, after all he isn't in his turf. The sage began speaking again.

"Uhm, the one wearing the same necklace as mine, is she a relative or a special someone?" She asked as they continued walking.

"Why would you want to know?" Koemgein asked rudely, again.

"Well, is there something wrong about gaining knowledge about some trivial things?" the sage replied wisely, which caught Koemgein off guard as he sighed.

"Both." Koemgein replied.

"I see, well see you! I'll be taking my leave know, bye!" the sage left his presence and walked to a large place filled with books, the library.

"I'll consider visiting that place once." he said to himself

Koemgein walked towards a couple of stairs leading downwards and he ended up in a dungeon like place. He ventured the dark place and after getting lost for the nth time, he found his way towards the Heart of Ymir, He touched it and a bright light engulfed him, he covered his eyes with his arms, trying to block the blinding gleam.

He opened his eyes and saw a hallway with a number of people looking at him. They him and let him walk towards the majestic Valkyrie.


	5. The Night's Fallen Angel

Chapter Five – The Night's Fallen Angel

Koemgein's heart raced; the thought that he would be a Stalker in just a little while made him walk a little bit faster than normal. His excitement and nervousness made sweat trickle from his head and neck. He stopped his tracks as he saw a large door, he was about to push it when in opened by itself, then a gleam of light shined from the inside and a winged being greeted him.

"Good day to you warrior." the Valkyrie greeted, she was wearing an elegant armor a golden spear and her face adorned with such divine presence. "I am Brunhild, the leader of the Valkyries and I welcome you to Valhalla." she continued.

"What can I do for you?" Brunhild asked.

"I came to seek the path of Transcension, I am Koemgein Sceaduwe, a rogue of boundless potentials." he replied.

"Let's see, short black messy hair, black eyes, a morrocan I suppose?" she asked.

"Yes, and proud at that." Koemgein replied, with an intrigued sound.

"Such ambitious words coming from a mere mortal, however, I can see through you. You do not seek the path of Transcension, what you seek is the path of vengeance." the Valkyrie said.

"You may be right; however, you cannot hide the truth that more people will be in peril if I will not be able to fulfill my goals. That is the reason why I want to become stronger. I do not want anyone to experience this misery of mine." Koemgein replied.

"Wise words, but blood for blood will cause the whole world to bleed, don't you know that?" Brunhild questioned.

"That's why I want to become stronger, I understand your words. However, are you implying that I just sit and do nothing, taking a piss and waiting to die? If I do not seek vengeance, no, if I do not act at once, then more and more people will be killed by that person!" He replied which left the Valkyrie into deep thought.

"Indeed, you are a deserving being, your conviction is exceptional, this will lead you to the accomplishment of your goals." the Valkyrie said and smiled at him. She raised her spear and a bright light covered the person in front of her and Koemgein was gone.

………

"Where am I?" Koemgein asked, he was warped into a dark room with only a lit candle on top of a table and a figure emerged in front of him, which caused a slight tingle in his body, it seems a deathly aura formed around the two beings.

"You are in Valhalla, in my room, the room of the so called Night's Fallen Angels. You were sent to me by Brunhild so it means one thing, follow me." the figure clad in dark garments said to him.

Koemgein followed, they walked through a narrow path that leads to a small door and they stopped. "Get inside; take everything that may be of use to you. And your garments, change them, a Stalker needs to have lighter ones. I'll meet you there." the dark figure said as it pointed to where they came from.

Koemgein entered the room, removed his garments and other items and changed his tunic. He has black wavy hair, very messy to describe in too much detail, and black eyes. He possesses a mature face, enough to misjudge his age as he was only sixteen. He took a glance at his blade and tucked them at his right hip. And for the final touches, he coiled a maroon cloth around the lower half of his face; a Stalker never reveals their true identity to people. When everything was done he put his Thief's Clothes on and went to meet the enigmatic person.

…

"It seems walking at that dark hallway seemed to be an easy task for you." the person clad in dark garments commended him

"It was nothing, the shadows and the dark are the rogue's best friends." Koemgein replied.

The enigmatic figure then touched his shoulder, Koemgein felt a surge of power being transferred into him, and he felt renewed strength and vigor. The process made Koemgein sweat hard.

"Very well, this is where the path of Transcension ends. Go forth and let your new abilities guide you on your journey." after saying that, Koemgein got warped out of the room and back to the location of the Heart of Ymir. From there he ventured out of the dungeon like place and eventually he made his way back to the entrance of the building. He looked back to admire the beauty of the structure and onward to his goal.

"I'll have to test my new abilities and get used to them while I'm here." Koemgein said as he went out of the city. He reached the long bridge and crossed it, he ventured the rocky steppes of Juno's lands until he ended up in what it seems to be a bastion of Grand Peco Pecos.

"I guess I'll be staying here for a while." Koemgein said as he pulled out his sword.

…

Assassin's Guild….

…

"Master, someone has killed a comrade, Sig Portferio." an assassin said

"And who is this who dares to meddle with our plans?" the assassin guild master replied

"Unfortunately, the killing was executed perfectly and according to the information, no witness can present a testimony regarding this matter. For now, we do not know who this is." the assassin replied

"How was the killing done?" the guild master asked

"The corpse was seen to have a deep cut on his throat, that's all we could find out. We examined the body and there were no other injuries whatsoever." the assassin replied that made the old man rub his chin.

"Very well, thank you. You may now leave." the guild master said, and the assassin left the place. The old man stood up and walked to the side of the window and gazed upon the heavens.

"The Angel of Death is playing mindgames with us. I like it." the guild master smirked and grinned.

…

Prontera's Royal Throne Chamber….

…

"Your highness, a knight wants to have a word with you." a guard said

"About what?" the king replied

"He said he wants to report about the Knight Sig Portferio." the guard replied

"Let him in" the king ordered

An exhausted looking knight entered the palace, he walked towards the king and knelt down in honor as he spoke, "Your highness, the Colonel is dead."

"What? Who did this? An assassin?" the king spoke abruptly as he stood up his throne

"Forgive me your highness, but the murder was done in his own room, the killer entered through the door and stabbed his throat with a dagger." the knight replied

"A dagger? As far as I know, assassins take out their targets with katars and poison, but a dagger?" the king said as he sat down and sighed. "Any other information you may give?" he continued

"I can give you some descriptions but I don't think that will satisfy your need for information." the knight replied in dismay

"No, tell me anything you know." the king said

"I estimated that the murderer is about five feet tall, has short wavy hair…a typical morrocan." the knight replied as he looked down, only able to give near useless information is shameful for him.

"Very well" he said, "Guards! Take this knight to the infirmary, he needs proper treatment." he ordered

As the knight and the two escort guards left the place, the prince approached the king and whispered something to him. The king nodded in agreement and placed his hand on his son's shoulder. The prince left shortly after.

I really need some reviews, just give me some advice on how to improve my writing (typing) skills. This is my first attempt in writing so only constructive criticisms and other comments please. =)


	6. The Person Who Killed Them

Chapter Six – The Person Who Killed Them

Juno, at Koemgein's location…

"Whew, so exhausting!" he said as he inhaled the drug in a bottle again and sat down on the sandy ground.

"I think it is time to go back to Morroc and check things out." he said as he laid his body down and closed his eyes in the process. It was then when he noticed a fragrant smell. He opened his eyes and saw a sage, she possesses amber-colored hair and porcelain like skin, the sage he met earlier.

"Hi! What are you doing here?" the sage asked as she sat beside him.

"Uhm, lying down and trying to take some rest while a noisy sage barges in?" he replied annoyingly

"Silly, I just wanted to talk to someone…wait…I believe you're just a rogue this morning?" she asked

"It is already afternoon, dusk to be exact." Koemgein replied

"Wow! You saw the Valkyrie? How does she look? Is she scary? Does she have wings? Did you fight her? Is she beautiful? Where you able to touch her? Does she look like us humans?" she asked, while staring at Koemgein

"Seriously, are you really a sage?" Koemgein asked as he stood up and walked away.

The sage followed and walked with him. She seemed to look at Koemgein with such awe and amazement. She examined his features and eventually, spoke again.

"Your hair shoots out in all directions, you should fix that." the sage said and made Koemgein annoyed. Suffering from the severe scorching sun of Morroc, his hair has grown terribly. First, the heat made it curly messy and wavy. Second, the heat has made it unsmooth and hard to comb. Every time he tries to comb his hair nicely, it only ends up returning to what it looked like when he just got out of bed.

"I'm trying." he replied with an annoyed tone.

"Why are you wearing a cape-like thing?" she asked

"This is not a cape, this is a Thief's Clothing." he replied

"Ohhh, so that's what it's called! Hey, can I try it on?" she asked.

"No, if you do, you'll suffer chronic heart disease." Koemgein said, hiding the truth that it really doesn't smell very good because it was soaked in sweat from the training he did. He sped up his walking pace.

"Wait! That does not make any sense!" she said as she tried to catch up with him but failed.

"Hmph! When I see that person again I'll show him!" she said while crossing her arms.

Koemgein heard this as he was just stalking around unseen, he couldn't help but wonder why this certain sage looked like her sister, the hair color, the way she looks, acts and even the way she talks. In the deepness of his thought, he concluded it was still too early to generalize things. He walk towards the Airship Representative in the middle of the city and asked for a warp to Morroc.

After another nauseating warp, Koemgein set foot on the desert sands of Sograt. He went to the marketplace to buy some snacks, he went to the fruit stand and bought an apple. He took a bite and strolled a little, he decided to pay a visit at their house, in the south western part of town. He walked and stopped his tracks in front of a sizable house, enough for someone in Morroc to be called a noble. He entered the place, it was untidy, and stench of blood came about from the place, only Koemgein knew what caused it. The smell made Koemgein agitated; he wanted to find that person, the person who destroyed his dreams, the person that made his life miserable, the one who killed his parents. He let out a breath of sigh and left the place. He locked the door and walked away; at that time, he knew it is the right time to act.

*Flashback*

Midnight, in Morroc…

Heavy knocks were heard from the door of a Morrocan noble, the sound of noisy Peco Pecos echoed through the doorsteps of the mansion. A servant approached and opened the door, without any warning and permission, the Knights stormed the place while shouting, "By the order of the Royal Palace, Auril Sceaduwe and Rodan Sceaduwe, you are under arrest."

The couple went out and they met at the mansion's living room. There are five knights and one was carrying the Seal of Prontera, embossed on his armor.

"Why are we under arrest?" asked Rodan, while grasping his wife's arm, tightly but gently.

"You and your collaborators over here are accused of false preaching." replied the knight, the one who carried the Seal.

"False preaching? I have no knowledge of what you are talking about! I have done no such acts. I am just a Scribe; I sort scrolls and tomes. How could I do such a thing?" Rodan answered furiously.

"It is what our men have gathered, or are you saying that we're just lying?" the knight questioned.

"Absolutely! You knights are a bunch of dogs, you who cannot move on their own accord, you who needs a master to guide them, you always speak of honor, but you are the ones who cause dishonor and…" Rodan's furious speech was interrupted when the knight choked him.

"And?! Do you know who your are talking to? I am the Prince of Prontera! The Firstborn Son of The King of Rune Midgard. You have guts spilling those words on my face..." the Prince's speech was interrupted as Rodan spat on his face two times.

"You…must…die!" Rodan said weakly as the grasp on his neck was tightening

"No, you will." the Prince said as he drew his sword and disemboweled the man. He raised his left hand, signaling the other knights to finish what he has started; they massacred all the servants in the place, leaving no one alive. Auril, Rodan's wife, on the other hand, managed to sneak out of the place weeping, he went to her children's room and reported the incident.

"Quick, get yourselves out of this place!" Auril said as she led them to a secret passageway.

"Mama, what's going on?" a young boy asked, wearing a necklace with a garnet pendant

"No questions! Take your sister with you, leave this place at once!" his mother exclaimed, causing the knights to find them.

"Koemgein, take care of Kethraine, though she may not be your true sister, she is the only one you have."

Koemgein, carried Kethraine on his back and entered the passageway. He looked back; he saw the most frightening scene he could ever imagine. Two blades impaled through her mother's chest. As the door to the passage closed, he saw it, the Seal of Prontera on the knight's armor.

Koemgein hurried and escaped, with her sister on her back, sleeping soundly and clueless of what happened. The scene of the blood flowing out of the person who nourished him haunted him; tears began rolling on his cheeks. He ran fast, as fast as he can, he wanted to get away from this nightmare. He arrived at the north gate of Morroc, there he saw a priest opening a portal, out of his proper thinking, Koemgein stepped into the portal with her sister.

They arrived at Geffen…

It was dawn when the siblings woke up, Koemgein examined the place, it was blurry and he looked up and saw a tower with a purple gem on the spire. His eyes widened, they are in Geffen, the place where his mother's ancestral home lies. He woke his sister up and told her where they are, and that they were there for a visit.

"Umm, Kem, where is mama and papa?" asked the girl wearing a necklace with an aquamarine pendant

"They…they asked me if…if I could bring you here and visit our grandfather. We haven't seen him in a long span of time so it may be good if we see him." Koemgein replied

Koemgein stood up and offered a hand to his sister; they walked while holding each other's hands and arrived at the location. Koemgein knocked and he was swiftly answered by an old voice. The old man opened the door and looked down at the two young ones.

_I would appreciate if you would post a comment or somethin'. =)_


	7. Birth of a Vengeful Soul

Chapter Seven – Birth of a Vengeful Soul

Koemgein and Kethraine looked up to see the person in front of them, the siblings smiled at the old man when they verified that it was their grandfather. The old man welcomed the two and let them sit on a luxurious couch. Kethraine smiled while Koemgein's expression was blank, confused. Their grandfather noticed this and asked Koemgein to tell him his troubles. Koemgein and his grandfather went to the backyard while Kethraine was busy examining the artifacts displayed around the house.

"My child, you seem to be bothered, tell me and I will do my best to help you."

"They…are…..dead." Koemgein answered as he started to weep.

"Dead? Get a hold of yourself and explain what happened!"

"Mother, Father and the others; they were killed."

"By who?! Who killed my daughter and son-in-law?!"

"I am not sure but, I saw the Seal of Prontera on one of the knights." Koemgein replied as he wiped off the last tear he shed.

"Seal of Prontera? The Prince." the old man whispered

Koemgein heard this and looked up to his grandfather.

"I will hunt them down." Koemgein said

"Koemgein, have you gone mad?"

"If you take me as such then yes, I will avenge the death of my parents and that's my only goal for now." he said as he walked away and crossed the fence of the backyard.

"Grandfather, if Ket asks, tell her that I left to continue my studies in Morroc. Never tell her that father and mother is dead. And after sometime, tell her that…I am…just tell her that I have some matters to attend to." these are Koemgein's last words before he left. His grandfather nodded in reply.

From there Koemgein ventured towards the sands of Morroc, alone. All he had was a small dagger, a Stiletto. His father told him that this certain dagger is small enough to hide behind someone's pocket unnoticed, and since he was a noble, a son of a Morrocan Scribe, he needed something to defend himself. He treaded the place where Orc Warriors are common, he was cautious, the forest was thick and dense, and he may be ambushed anytime. He nimbly sneaked out of the forest while avoiding occasional Orcs. He finally caught his breath when he saw patches of sands and some mirages caused by the rising sun; Sograt Desert is finally in reach.

Days later, he was in the town of Morroc, hungry and exhausted with nothing in his pockets but his Stiletto and a bottle of his medicine, he started to walk, slowly, while begging anyone he encountered. Unfortunately for him, Morroc is a poor city and tourists were very rare, he doesn't want to come back and enter the place where everything happened, he had no other option, he had to steal. He went to the busiest and most crowded place in Morroc, the marketplace. There, he pick pocketed anyone who was very inattentive on their surroundings and used what he stole to buy food.

As he was eating his steamed potatoes, a Rogue appeared in front of him.

"I saw that." the Rogue said in a low tone, and with a blink of an eye, everything went black.

It was already dusk when Koemgein woke up, he was in a room with a small oil lamp. He stood up and went out; where he was greeted by two rogues, a female and a male.

From there, everything started, Koemgein Sceaduwe at the age of ten started his training as a Rogue.

*End flashback*

…

Koemgein came to his wits in front of an inn, near the western gate. For some reason, looking back at a very miserable past seems so exhausting for him. He entered the place and met a friend.

"Ah Koemgein, nice to see you, how may I be of service?" the innkeeper asked

"Rucio, good to see you, a room please." Koemgein replied

"Of course haha!" Rucio said as he handed over a key.

"Payment's when I leave right?"

"Yes, but don't bother anymore, what you've done for me many times before is more than enough for payment!" Rucio said while scratching his short black wavy hair.

"Heh, thanks." Koemgein said, and smiled as he climbed upstairs and entered his room.

…

Oblivion awaits.


	8. A Sage

Chapter Eight – A Sage

Juno, Capital of the Schwaltzvalt Republic…

A typical day for a sage's life, going to the academy, studying and spending any free time in the library, still studying, no wonder a sage's life is too dedicated in one thing, knowledge, but less practice. Just like their counterpart, wizards, they come from Mage roots but differ in their paths. Sages are more specialized in supportive and defensive spells, while wizards study the most destructive ones, enough to change the topography of a place or landscape. They say that when a Sage and a Wizard crosses paths, it is very difficult to predict who the winner will be, and the first one who does the wrong move loses.

…

A sunny afternoon, in a classroom in the Sage's Academy…

…

"The Tree of Yggdrasil is…umm…also called the tree of life. Legend says that…uh what was that…Nidhogg, the monster longs to devour the sacred tree but…"

"KKKrrrraaaaannnngggggg"

The professor's lecture was interrupted by the bell which marks the end of his boring class. Sages, yawning and drowsy from the lecture slowly walk out of the room. From the looks on their faces, they seem to have gone tremendous work, work from a forge. In fact they were so exhausted, they looked close to the blacksmiths who worked twenty-four hours in the armory.

"Damn, that professor is just, arrgghh!" a sage exclaimed crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Trisha, tone down your voice, if he hears you, you'll get suspended!" another sage said while pointing her finger on the sage's lips.

"It's a good thing that that would be the last day we would see that face this year, winter vacation is coming!" another sage said, pertaining to the same professor, while cheering.

As they walked across the hallway, chatting and all, two sages went their way and joined the three.

"Hello you three, uhm, we were just wondering if you already have plans for this upcoming winter break?" asked one of the sages

"Oh hi Matthias, about the winter thing, we don't have anything in mind yet. Have any ideas on where to go?" asked Trisha

"Actually we have plenty, Lutie, Geffen, Comodo and many others, so where do you intend to go?" Matthias' companion, Jonred, asked in reply.

Matthias and Jonred are companions since they started studying in the academy. Matthias has ear-length straight hair, brown eyes and a face that any woman in the academy admired, except for the three other women he was talking to. Jonred on the other hand has yellow hair and widely known in the academy for his poorly constructed mind, however, his excellence in using daggers and the spell 'Hindsight' makes up for it. The two stand at about five feet and eight inches.

"We haven't even said that we are coming with the two of you guys, we…" Misha, Trisha's twin, said, but got interrupted.

Misha and Trisha are twins, the two stands at about five feet, the former only an inch taller. They posses brown shoulder length hair and green eyes.

"I want to go to Morroc." Kethraine, at the back of the group said, while playing with her amber-colored hair that reaches to her waist.

"Morroc? Why would anyone go there anyway?" asked Trisha.

"I want to check things out with my parents and my…my brother." she replied

"Oh, yes, the Pyramids and the Sphinx is a nice research subject for the upcoming thesis! May we join you?" asked Matthias while pulling Jonred near him. In his mind, he imagined Kethraine's beauty and crimson eyes being under his possession in the whole duration they are in Morroc.

The three female sages talked to each other and agreed upon something, "Okay, the five of us will go together to Morroc, but Matthias and Jonred will be the one in charge on the trip fees." Trisha said.

"Us? But why and how?" the two said in unison

"First, the two of you were the ones who offered us the locations on where to go, and now that we have agreed on something, don't you think it is rightful for you two gentlemen to pay for the trip?" Misha said with a questioning tone.

"Argh, fine, we'll be the one in charged for the trip, but food, shelter and other needs are not in our pockets anymore!" Matthias exclaimed.

"Yes!" Trisha, Misha and Kethraine said in response.

The five met at the center of the town, where an Airship Representative can warp them to Morroc. Each of them, carrying their luggage containing their garments and other needs, went on to their journey.

They arrived at Morroc shortly, the scorching sun of the desert and the burning sensation on their feet confirms that they have reached the place. The five toured their way while finding an inn to stay, of course, Morroc is a dangerous place, so they have to be very picky in choosing an inn. As they strolled, they agreed to enter an inn at the western axis of the town. They entered the inn and found men and women, seemingly friendly people, drinking and talking.

"Two rooms please." Matthias said

"I'm deeply sorry, but only one room is vacant for now." the innkeeper replied. Matthias approached the other four and told them what the innkeeper has said. They decided to sit down first, eat and relax before leaving. The five ordered food or rather, a feast.

"Where do we go now?" Trisha and Misha asked, again in unison.

"Uhm, I've been wondering, if Kethraine lives here, then why don't we stay in her house for the rest of our trip?" Jonred asked as he stuffed garlic bread in his mouth.

"Uhm, actually, I've been meaning to tell you but, I think I'm still not ready to see them, yet." Kethraine replied

"Uhm, I understand, let's just keep our mouths shut as we devour these things!" Matthias exclaimed.

As the five were eating, Matthias, the somehow handsome sage, can't keep his eyes from glancing back and forth at his food, at Kethraine's endowed chest and at Kethraine's still endowed face. For some reason, Matthias finds staring at the beauty of the amber-colored hair of Kethraine so enticing, ever since he had admired the sage, he can't take his eyes off her whenever she is on sight. His sightseeing was interrupted by a call from the innkeeper.

"Koemgein!" the innkeeper shouted.

Everyone in the inn ignored the person, except for the five whose attention got caught as well. Moreover hearing that made Kethraine's heart race.

*************

Yes, I am still writing.


End file.
